1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a food product for animals and more particularly, to a food product which includes a pocket in which medication may be concealed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most pet owners have experienced difficulty administering oral medication to their pets, particularly dogs. In order to get a pill into a dog, the dog's mouth must be held open while a pill is inserted into the back of the throat. Then the dog's mouth must be held closed while swallowing is encouraged. It often takes two people to complete this maneuver and many owners are injured by their pets, and many pets are injured by their owners, while administering pills. Pet owners have tried to conceal pills and mask the taste of pills by wrapping them in cheese or lunch meat, but the pill often escapes its wrappings.
Solutions intended for humans do not readily adapt to animals. For example, U.S. 153,329 to Butts discloses the use of a fig as an envelope for administering medicine to children, an uneconomical, and possibly non-nutritional, solution for pets. U.S. 4,551,329 to Harris et al discloses a lollipop with medication enclosed in "ears" formed by extensions of the lollipop stick. An animal can not be safely treated with a lollipop.
Some medications may be available in a form which is edible and palatable to the pet, such as disclosed by Vierling in U.S. 3,005,753. However, most pets will learn to distinguish that particular food item from other food products, and the problem still remains of administering other medications not adaptable to Vierling's solution.
It is desirable to administer medication in a readily acceptable form, and in particular, one which the animal has come to accept without medication. It is also desirable to have a means of administering medication which may be used for a variety of pills, as treatment requires.